Movies like Little Hero (1978)
The best movies like Little Hero (1978) are Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017), Dragonheart: Vengeance (2021) and The Thousand Faces of Dunjia (2017). If Little Hero hooked you with its action and fantasy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedImmortal Demon Slayer (2017)7.6/10 from 226 votes
- NewestPisces (2025)Released 2025
- In ChineseJourney to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017)Also in Chinese
Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017)
Tang Monk brings three disciples on a journey to the West. On the outside, everything seems harmonious. However, tension is present beneath the surface, and their hearts and minds are not in agreement. After a series of demon-capturing events, the monk and his disciples gain mutual understanding of each others' hardships and unease. Finally, they resolve their inner conflict and work together to become an all-conquering, demon-exorcising team.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDragonheart: Vengeance (2021)
Lukas, a young farmer whose family is killed by savage raiders in the countryside, sets out on an epic quest for revenge, forming an unlikely trio with a majestic dragon and a swashbuckling, sword-fighting mercenary, Darius.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Thousand Faces of Dunjia (2017)
The world is on the brink of catastrophe in a chaotic age where evil demons roam. In order to keep evil at bay, a mysterious organisation from the pugilist world emerges. A new constable and a young girl with a mysterious past are also drawn into this group, and the group embarks on an incredible adventure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Sorcerer and the White Snake (2011)
The Sorcerer and the White Snake is an ancient Chinese fable about a woman demon who falls in love with a mortal is brought to life through the latest advances in CGI and action techniques.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Legend (2024)
An archeologist noticed that the texture of the relics discovered during the excavation of a glacier closely resembled a jade pendant seen in one of his dreams. He and his team then embark on an expedition into the depths of the glacier.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMythica: A Quest for Heroes (2014)
Stuck in a life of indentured servitude, Marek dreams of becoming a wizard. When she meets the beautiful priestess Teela in need of help, she offers her assistance and provides a motley troupe. Together they go in search of Teela's sister, who was kidnapped by a wild ogre.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & fantasy
SnoozefestMovies like thisMythica: The Godslayer (2016)
As the Lich King's zombie legions ravage the world, a cursed young sorceress embarks on a quest to obtain a weapon from the gods. But when she joins her sworn enemy in a desperate attempt to save the world, she must recover the good in herself before her friends are all dead, and defeat the Lich King before the gods are destroyed and the world forever enslaved.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisMythica: The Necromancer (2015)
The young wizard Marek is forced to lead her band of would-be heroes on a mission for the corrupt Thieves Guild, which has taken her friend hostage. Their journey will take them straight into the wicked clutches of Szorlok, their greatest enemy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisDouble World (2020)
Keen to bring honor to his clan, young villager Dong Yilong embarks on a perilous journey to compete in a tournament that selects warriors for battle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Storm Riders (1998)
Heeding a prophecy, a warlord trains two orphans after killing their parents. But the skills he teaches could lead to his downfall.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Writer's Odyssey (2021)
Lu Kongwen is the author of a fantasy novel series following a heroic teenager, also named Kongwen, on a quest to end the tyrannical rule of Lord Redmane, under the guidance of a Black Armor. But through a strange twist of fate, the fantasy world of the novel begins to impact life in the real world, leading Guan Ning to accept a mission from Tu Ling to kill the author.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTrue Legend (2010)
Su Qi-Er, a wealthy man living during the Qing Dynasty who loses his fortune and reputation as a result of a conspiracy against him. After being forced out onto the streets, Su dedicates his life to martial arts and reemerges as a patriotic hero known as the "King of Beggars."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisImmortal Demon Slayer (2017)
A giant rebelled against the heavens. It was declared a devil and defeated. The immortal heart evolved into Sun Wukong. The heavens found him, and ravaged his home. He enters the heavenly kingdom, disguised as a human, seeking retribution.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Knight's War (2025)
A fearless knight braves a deadly realm to save the Chosen One’s soul. Facing witches, demons, and brutal foes, he discovers her return could ignite chaos and doom humanity.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Water Man (2020)
Hoping to save his sick mother, a boy named Gunner and his friend Jo venture into the remote Wild Horse forest to search for a mythical figure who possesses the secret to immortality. When they go missing, Gunner's father Amos must immerse himself in his son's world to find them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisReturn of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969)
After the events of The One-Armed Swordsman (1967), a retired Fang Gang is drawn back into the jianghu to protect various young apprentices whose swordsmanship schools have been terrorized by 8 evil swordsmen seeking to rule the jianghu.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNico the Unicorn (1998)
As an 11-year-old boy struggles to cope with a disability, he finds a pony who gives birth to a unicorn which he takes care of.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWish Upon a Unicorn (2020)
Two children discover that their mother is gone. The youngest of the pair, adventurer and upcomming singer, Long Johnson forces his older sister, Lily Johnson, to hunt down a unicorn with magical blood.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShorts (2009)
A young boy's discovery of a colorful, wish-granting rock causes chaos in the suburban town of Black Falls when jealous kids and scheming adults alike set out to get their hands on it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
SnoozefestMovies like thisCome Away (2020)
Before Alice went to Wonderland, and before Peter became Pan, they were brother and sister. When their eldest brother dies in a tragic accident, they each seek to save their parents from their downward spirals of despair until finally they are forced to choose between home and imagination, setting the stage for their iconic journeys into Wonderland and Neverland.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
SnoozefestMovies like thisKing Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
The advertising director of Pacific Pharmaceuticals, frustrated with the low ratings of their sponsored TV program, seeks a more sensationalist approach. He orders his staff to Faro Island to capture King Kong for exploitation. As Godzilla re-emerges, a media frenzy generates with Pacific looking to capitalize off of the ultimate battle.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTarkan and the Blood of the Vikings (1971)
Features a mustached villain, who is the leader of a Viking clan that worships an octopus god-monster. The Vikings wish to kidnap a beautiful girl to sacrifice her to their demigod, but the heroic Tarkan, aided by his dog, Kurt, is there to save the day.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisCurucuru and Friends: The Secrets of the Rainbow Tree (2015)
The movie takes place between Seasons 1 and 2. The Green Forest Village hosts a festival in celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the large tree growing in the middle of the village. While Curucuru and his friends are helping in the festival, they learned that tree's vitality is due to a legendary item call the Pingya, which gives it Eternal Love and Life. But in the midst of the festival, a bunch of Pirate Hyenas came to the village and stole the legendary item, causing the tree to wilt. Now it's up to Curucuru and his pals to get it back from the pirates, before things can go worse. But amid-st the actual troubles they face, the kids also encounter a strange Tiger child, who is connected to the incident.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & action
Mr. K (2025)
Mr. K, a traveling magician, finds himself in a Kafkaesque nightmare when he can’t find the exit of his hotel. His attempts to get out only pull him deeper, entangling him further with the hotel and its curious inhabitants.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDagon (2001)
A boating accident off the coast of Spain sends Paul and his girlfriend Barbara to the decrepit fishing village of Imboca. As night falls, people start to disappear and things not quite human start to appear. Paul is pursued by the entire town. Running for his life, he uncovers Imboca's secret..they worship Dagon, a monstrous god of the sea...and Dagon's unholy offspring are on the loose...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMonster Shark (1984)
A marine biologist, a dolphin trainer, a research scientist, and a local sheriff try to hunt down a large sea monster, a shark/octopus hybrid, that is devouring swimmers and fishermen off a south Florida coast.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
SnoozefestMovies like thisOctopus (2022)
Cooky Scientist creates mushrooms that make her travel through time and space
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
Warlords of Atlantis (1978)
Searching for the lost world of Atlantis, Prof. Aitken, his son Charles and Greg Collinson are betrayed by the crew of their expedition's ship, attracted by the fabulous treasures of Atlantis. The diving bell disabled, a deep sea monster attacks the boat. They are all dragged to the bottom of the sea where they meet the inhabitants of the lost continent, an advanced alien race that makes sailors their slaves.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
SnoozefestMovies like thisPisces (2025)
Pisces is an art film which explores ritual, identity, and transformation, drawing from Lovecraftian mythos, Chinese Folk ritual, Five Elemental Theory, and the artists' own personal history. Pisces portrays a psychic integration - a trinity of shadow, anima, and self.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
Tentacles (1977)
Several people disappear from and at the sea. Their bodies are found gnawed to the skeleton, even the marrow is missing. The scientists have no idea which animal could do such things. Dr. Turner begins to suspect that the company which builds a tunnel beneath the bay might have poisoned the environment and caused an octopus to mutate to giant dimensions...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
SnoozefestMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Little Hero?
The closest matches to Little Hero are Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017), Dragonheart: Vengeance (2021) and The Thousand Faces of Dunjia (2017). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Little Hero?
Start with Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017), the closest match to Little Hero.
What is the highest-rated movie like Little Hero?
Immortal Demon Slayer (2017), rated 7.6/10 by 226 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Little Hero?
Pisces (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Chinese movies like Little Hero?
Yes: Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017), The Thousand Faces of Dunjia (2017) and The Sorcerer and the White Snake (2011).
How are movies similar to Little Hero chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Little Hero, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.